Forward Unto a New Dawn
by Older than Time
Summary: Due to popular opinion, this will be a full fic. A Mgalekgolo arrives in the MEverse and tries to fit in despite being the only one of his kind. In this new galaxy, this lone Hunter will uncover the remnants of the great Forerunner Empire and possibly...love? (Adjusted the title, changed Sci-fi to Humor)
1. Chapter 1

_For those wondering what the hell I was thinking; I haven't a clue…_

_For those wondering what the hell is this; here's the basic outline:_

_Due to some improbable circumstances, an Mgalekgolo has been transported to the ME verse. His journey is rife with danger without his shield brother at his side._

_The Hunter was a part of the UNSC-Separatist Alliance and was catapulted across space and time due to the mid-slipspace destruction of the UNSC frigate he travelled on._

_For imagery, refer to __** halo/images/9/9a/HReach_-_ **__ or __** favourites/39506462#/d1xyemh**_

_The Mgalekgolo that I'll be using looks nearly identical to this one, except for a few key features;_

_-The headpiece has a horizontal red strip that acts as 'eyes'._

_-The nose of the plasma cannon is less bulbous; the cannon nozzle can retract, letting the right arm's 'fingers' be used._

_-On the underside of the chest piece are two hidden arms that will act as extra appendages so the Hunter can interface with ME tech and characters. Ex. Use a basic omni-tool, handle small objects, etc._

_-Finally, the armor will not have the various icons and insignia. Later in the fic (if I decide to add more chapters), the armor will gain the ability to generate a bubble shield for a small period of time._

_And for specifics on potential plot;_

_-possibility of an amazingly odd romance option…_

_-for plot purposes, the slipspace anomaly caused the individual 'snakes', or Lekgolo, to morph into one being; a sort of chimera-amalgamation that may be further explained._

_-Mgalekgolo have the ability to perceive the 'aura' of everything and are essentially colorblind. The colors they perceive are the colors of the auras of their surroundings and communicate like the Rachni, through 'songs'. Songs are vibrant displays of color and harmonic sounds that can usually be perceived through direct contact with the Mgalekgolo's flesh or the Mgalekgolo focusing upon another's aura. Certain machines can project the 'songs' so more can view their beauty._

_-When exposed to significant amounts of refined eezo, the Hunter can gain the ability to create mass effect fields for a limited time._

_On to the story…_

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn – a Mgalekgolo's Great Journey**_

_._

_._

_._

_They held fast against the steady tide of Kig-yar and Jiralhanae; none would pass…_

_The Mgalekgolo twins finished off one last platoon of the bird-like Kig-yar and their brutish leader using his Assault Cannon's explosive capsule firing-mode. They snorted at the inferiors that lay dead at their feet, squashing many corpses with each heavy step._

_The first Mgalekgolo searched idly for his bond-brother, his young offshoot that was a mere month old. There across the battlefield, his other half smashed an unlucky Brute with a powerful swing of their shield. Their foes were pitiful; very few could truly stand against their might._

_The battlefield was silent. A sure sign of their effectiveness in battle…_

_._

_._

_._

A deep rumbling shook the cavern where a mighty being rested. It had arrived onto this planet by means unknown. It knew only that the planet was an inhospitable world filled with deceptively quiet forests and ravenous beasts. The predators of the land where easily deterred by the Mgalekgolo's menacing form and its deadly plasma weaponry.

The behemoth rested in a small cave just a few meters away from the site of its arrival. The Mgalekgolo's crash-landing had been an unexpected occurrence; the pod it had inhabited had survived the mid-slipspace destruction of the _USS Jericho_, the human craft it had travelled upon. They had just survived a battle with a Loyalist Covenant battlecruiser and had attempted to leave via slipspace jump when the frigate had been struck by several plasma torpedoes of the battlecruiser's reinforcements.

Grimlock, as he had come to be known by human warriors he fought alongside, did not know how he had survived or come to be on this strange world; he only knew that it was not part of existence in which he was born. The very aura of the world was more alien than the human's homeworld had been. The Mgalekgolo could no longer feel the songs of his brethren, the very lifeline of his people that extended beyond the perception of other races.

Another deep rumble shook the walls of the cave. Curiosity overcoming himself, Grimlock quietly (for him) made his way to the entrance of the cave.

There in the clearing, he could see a small group of figures with near-identical glass helms stood studying the crater from his pod's impact. Grimlock once again felt the strange aura of this existence radiating more strongly from one of the masked figures. The being was female from what he could sense; she would be considered 'curvaceous' by human standards and stood on legs similar to the Sanghelii, only her feet were clawed and had two toes.

The masked aliens split into two groups: one stayed at the crash site, presumably to examine the area more closely. The second ventured toward Grimlock's shelter, the radiant female with them.

.

.

.

Tali'Zorah Vas Neema sighed as her team was once again assigned to another task by the Admiralty Board. Sure it had been only three months prior that the _SSV Normandy_ had been destroyed and one of the most influential figures in her short life had died of asphyxiation while she watched helplessly from an escape pod; her loss did not make her incompetent, it made her sorrowful to the point that she often cried herself to sleep…

"Tali'Zorah, the scanners have tracked a large bipedal creature that came from the strange pod in the crater. The retreating footprints indicate that the creature was most likely heavily armored, weighing more than five tons at the least."

Tali had seen the signs earlier. Much of it was obvious to even the most casual of observers. Even so, Tali decided to take a few marines with her to scout the creature's location. Hopefully it would be a non-violent sentient with a very mild disposition. And to be sure of the mission's success, Tali left Prazza under Kal'Reegar's command.

"Dega'Vai, Logri'Artas; both of you come with me. We'll be following those tracks while Prazza and Reegar make sure the crash site remains secure."

Tali's orders were crisp and well-received. Prazza admired Reegar and would follow the older, red-suited Quarian with no complaints. As her small group followed the tracks, Tali contemplated on the possible contact.

Judging by the depressions left and the depth of each print, she believed the being was easily seven feet tall and weighed several tons at least. Also, it probably wore very heavy armor since the footprints were too symmetrical to be entirely organic. Tali's musings were interrupted by Dega'Vai Vas Qwib Qwib, the only other female Quarian with the search party.

"Tali'Zorah, the tracks go into that cave just beyond the tree line. Should we call a few more marines over as a precaution?"

"No. Both you and Logri get behind the trees and cover me while I take a closer look. With any luck, we'll just have rescued a stranded traveler."

Both Quarians did as ordered while Tali crept closer to the cave entrance. Slowly taking out her battered Predator pistol, Tali peered into the dim shelter and could just make out the shape of an enormous figure within. Tali stored away her weapon and kept her hands raised at shoulder height as she approached whoever (or whatever) was hiding in the cave.

"Hello? My name is Tali'Zorah Vas Neema of the Quarian Migrant Fleet. We discovered your crashed pod and came to investigate."

The figure swayed slightly and Tali was able to see the glow of some sort of energy containers on its right arm. Whatever this thing was, it was big and packing some obvious firepower…

Tali mentally gulped as she tried to communicate her intentions.

"Can you please come into the light? It's rather difficult to talk to a bulky shadow…"

The figure apparently understood and walked, or lumbered, into the light. Tali felt lightheaded and amazed at the being before her. Standing at least seven feet tall and clad in strange blue armor, the behemoth cut an imposing figure. She found that the glowing protrusions where actually parts of a large cannon that was the creature's right hand and the bulky black mass was an impossibly thick physical shield on its left arm. The spikes swayed and twitched as the alien examined her carefully.

Trembling, Tali lifted her left hand and held it saying,

"As I said before; I am Tali'Zorah Vas Neema. Pleased to make your acquaintance, ummm…"

Tali paused and prayed that it would understand the gesture. She could feel Dega and Logri taking aim with their rifles; she knew however that their weapons would probably have little effect. Their outdated Avenger rifles were barely held together and lacked the penetrating power needed to take this giant down.

A tense moment passed and Tali was relieved to see that the alien understood her gesture. She watched with fascination as a hidden panel on the underside chestplate opened up. Out came a mechanical, three-fingered arm. It reached out and lightly grasped her hand; Tali was amazed at the dexterity and craftsmanship of the limb. She idly wondered who could have built such a suit. The young engineer was then shocked out of her reverie when the creature spoke with a gravelly, yet modulated voice.

"Greeting accepted. This one greets Tali'Zorah. Designation: Grimlock."

The newly identified Grimlock released her hand and his (as she decided since the voice was clearly male) arm folded back into place under the now-closing chestplate.

"Alright…Grimlock. Do you need any help? My team would be pleased to render their servi-"

"Assistance needed. Audio emitters damaged. External repairs and updated translation software required for full communication capability."

So his fragmented speech was a hardware problem; she could fix that…

.

.

.

Grimlock sat in the Quarian shuttle as the radiant female, Tali'Zorah, examined the damaged audio emitters on his helmet. Said Quarian was seated on his shoulders, just behind his head, fiddling with the now visible wiring. The Mgalekgolo sighed internally as he watched the other quarians go about their business as the shuttle flew them back to their migrant fleet, or as Tali had called it, the Flotilla. Thanks to the loaned omni-tool on his secondary left arm, Grimlock was easily able to understand the speech of his new allies.

"-such strange technology. It seems almost Prothean in design, yet there are many sections that just scream 'Quarian'. Who built this armor Grimlock?"

Tali had been pestering him a great deal as she quickly corrected the damaged emitters. He merely shrugged; the armor had been gifted to him by the Mgalekgolo elders and had later been modified as he gained more renown as a warrior. He knew everything that was relevant to the repair and maintenance of his armor, nothing more. The technology came from the Forerunners and the Covenant scientists merely reverse engineered what they could decipher from the artifacts they found. Few truly understood the inner workings of the technology.

"Exact makers unknown; the armor comes from the Time of Ascension."

"Time of Ascension?"

Tali's question was silently mirrored by the other quarians in the shuttle. They were curious about their passenger but had quietly let Tali'Zorah finish the repairs to his armor. Tali signaled for all to hold any question until Grimlock finished his explanation.

"_In the eras long past, millennia's before the Great Cataclysm and discovery of the Sacred Rings; there came the Forerunners. Ancient and wise, the Forerunner searched the known universe endlessly, seeking aid against a foe of their own making. A great, unstoppable parasite that consumed all life…_

"_The Forerunner came to our world and found the Lekgolo deep within the great seas. Calling us from the depths, the Forerunner took us into their ships and made us anew._

"_Before the Lekgolo swam the seas as prey to all; within a moon, the Forerunner gave us strength of arms and songs in our souls._

"_The first comer gave us the gift of potential; we walked in the shadow of the Forerunner. We were but children learning the ways of the world._

_The second comer gave us the gift of creation: we walked beside the Forerunner, molding the world to our will. We built magnificent cities and grand vessels to sail the endless stars._

_The third comer gave us the gift of conquest: we walked before the Forerunner, hunting the parasite to its source. We became the vanguard of our uplifters._

_The fourth come was the last; a parting gift from our dying friends. We were given the mantle of hope: we walked alone and guarded the sacred knowledge of our teachers. We are the vanguard of legacy; the guardians of their last wish…"_

Silence filled the shuttle as the quarians processed this information. Tali was the first to speak.

"Keelah, do you mean to tell me that an advanced race uplifted your people to fight a war for them?"

"Correct. The Forerunners were losing ground against a great enemy. The enemy possessed the ability to infect both living organisms and dead tissue, mutating the host into a suitable lifeform. Upon infection, the host dies and becomes part of a greater consciousness."

Tali and the quarians drew frightening parallels between themselves and these Forerunners. Both races created artificial life and were overthrown by their creations. Both the Geth and this 'enemy' had the ability to enhance themselves with the spoils of war and used a network-intelligence. And soon the Quarian race would join the Forerunners in extinction if their paths were the same.

"W-what was this enemy, the parasite called?"

Tali turned and saw that it was Logri who spoke. It was not often that the shy marine spoke up. Grimlock's visor flashed ominously before speaking.

"The parasite… It was an enemy without end, without reason, without fear; it was the endless tide, the eternal Flood."

A chill went up the spines of every quarian on the shuttle. They instinctively feared this 'Flood'. How could they not when it wiped out such an advanced race, even one capable of uplifting a primordial species into a space faring society in a matter of weeks.

"Did the Lekgolo defeat the Flood after the fall of the Forerunner?"

This time it was Dega'Vai. She was wringing her hands, anxious to hear the fate of their spiritual siblings. Grimlock shook his armored head solemnly.

"The Lekgolo were pushed back, along with every our other uplifted comrades. We each retreated to the sanctuaries built by our dying comrades, the Arks. Then the Forerunner activated their greatest weapon, a last resort. It wiped out all organic life in the universe. Any not within the Arks were incinerated by the light of extinction. Even the Forerunner."

"But how did Lekgolo and all the others races survive once organic life was wiped out. There would have been nothing left to survive on."

Tali's question echoed in the quiet shuttle. No one spoke. They were too curious; even Prazza was engrossed in the story.

"The Arks held the uplifted in stasis. Ten millennia trapped between life and death before being released to our homeworlds to start anew."

With that, Grimlock turned away from the quarians and settled into a vacant corner and slept. The quarians shook themselves out of there reverie and returned to their duties. They would arrive at the Flotilla in a matter of hours. But Tali glanced at the now slumbering giant, wondering what else he could tell them; what wonders filled his galaxy and horrors he had faced.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everybody, I got such great feedback from the last chapter that I decided to go ahead and make this a fully fledged fic. I'm not sure how much I'll be updating this story and all my other current ones. I'm in the middle of moving right now and I ain't sure when I'll have time to write. I'll do my best to get my four main fics updated often enough to satisfy you all!_

* * *

_**READ THESE NOTES BELOW!**_

_On an important note, there were many concerns on the 'inaccuracy' of the Mgalekgolo and Halo Lore. Here's my explanation, in the simplest of terms:_

_**Its fanfiction; an alternate universe apart from the canon-verses where the authors are god. Their words are the be-all and end-all of this false existence.**_

_For a more elaborate explanation:_

_I __**purposely and with great conscious effort**__ changed the way Mglakegolo actually are according to lore. __**I did all on purpose.**_

_I__** purposely**__ downplayed Grimlock. A normal Hunter (Halo 2, Reach, ODST and Halo 3 versions) would be too overkill for the wimpy enemies you'd run into in the MEverse. Pitting a Hunter against a squad of mercs, geth or the Shadow Broker's agents is like sending wave after wave of flies to perpetually powered bug zapping lantern. Hilarious to watch; not so fun to read about…_

_**I know**__ that Hunters are around 12 feet tall, weighing several tons and are pretty much fucking juggernauts. I also __**understand **__that Mgalekgolo are an amalgamation of small, worm-like orange things that work together to create the awesome behemoth we get our asses handed by. I'm just trying out a new concept; is that so bad?_

_Also, I __**understand **__the strange back-story I used doesn't match up with the games very well (or at all…). I made it that way for my climatic reveal and main idea behind the crossover. The thing is: the story's true face is not the fact that an Mgalekgolo is in the MEverse. It's the paralles I create between the Forerunners and Quarians that are revealed as Grimlock travels with Tali across the galaxy. Please have a little faith that I did SOME research before writing this fic…_

_Grimlock's presence will bring major changes to the ME2 storyline. I've read fics where the Chief/Arbiter comes to the MEverse. There's a few that show the repercussions of their arrival, but there's also a lot that show little to no change in the galaxy. I believe that such an arrival would change the face of the galaxy; it's due to me being a firm believer in Chaos Theory._

_**A butterfly flaps its wings in Florida; a hurricane strikes the nation of Japan.**_

_**A man sneezes to the left; the world ends in 2012. A man sneezes to the right and humanity takes its first steps on the moons of Saturn in 2032.**_

_If you really hate what I've done with the Hunters as a whole, please read something else and stop pestering me with your accusations and admonishments._

* * *

_For those willing to keep an open mind, here are a few helpful tips:_

_To help you imagine Grimlock speaking, think of a hanar's echoing voice digitalized. Like a hanar is speaking into a microphone and we're listening to him in another room through a slightly static-y speaker._

_Eezo will play a major role in this story. The vast potential of the element will make things much easier._

_Strange plot-holes will either be addressed in future chapters or advised to be noted in a review for me to explain or correct._

_Now on with the chapter…_

* * *

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn**_

With that, Grimlock turned away from the quarians and settled into a vacant corner and slept. The quarians shook themselves out of there reverie and returned to their duties. They would arrive at the Flotilla in a matter of hours. But Tali glanced at the now slumbering giant; wondering would come of his arrival into this universe.

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

**LOG ENTRY 42-G**

'_It's been four months since the alien, Grimlock, was accepted as an honored guest of the Admiralty Board as per recommendations from the Marine squad and Tali'Zorah. We've made major progress with the Hunter, a term his kind deemed as an acceptable 'nickname'. Apparently, Grimlock was originally a symbiotic amalgamation of individual living strands (called Lekgolo). They come together to form the behemoth we see before us known as Mgalekgolo. His new singular consciousness is believed to be the result of his accidental entry into our universe. The explosion of energy from the reactor the humans of his universe used likely mutated his original form. We suggested he create a new term for his new, individual identity, seeing as he was no longer a 'congregation of serpents'._

_Currently we are documenting the various changes to his anatomy and genetic make-up. According to the Hunter, his new form moves much more easily than his previous one. The many serpents that once made up his body now seem to make up his musculature and major organs while he has developed a skeletal structure several magnitudes denser than a krogan's. From our scans, we've determined that his bones are amazingly dense, easily able to support the immense weight of his armor and still leave him capable of moving freely as ourselves. His movements are incredibly disproportional to his size; he reacts almost instantaneously to any threats within a certain perimeter of him. Currently we believe his range to be roughly fifty standard feet radius._

_He has acquiesced to our suggestion and has taken to contemplating his new existence, considering an appropriate name._

_The Admiralty Board has designated Tali'Zorah vas Neema as his liaison to the rest of the Flotilla. Grimlock, despite his immense size, needs very little in the way of nutrients and sleeping quarters. He is compatible with both levo- and dextro-proteins; his prodigious size is rather disproportionate to his miniscule appetite. He eats very little, consuming a single tube of nutrient paste and a metric cup of water to fulfill his needs._

_Today we hope to gain more insight into his armor and weapons technology. Hopefully he will allow us more in-depth scans that will allow us to see what his armor and weapons are made of.'_

**END LOG ENTRY**

"Where is he?"

Tali ran throughout the Neema, frantically trying to locate her wayward charge. Despite the size of the Hunter, Grimlock easily escaped her view at the most inopportune moments and would wander the ship at his leisure. Once again, like the previous fifteen occasions, Grimlock wandered off and now Tali had to locate him.

Tali ran through the galley, engineering deck and the crew quarters at a breakneck pace. She dodged around a few marines off duty and around a corner, searching for the blue armored giant. She then dashed up to the command deck, taking three steps at a time when-

**CLANG!**

"KEELAH!"

She ran smack dab into her target…

Tali fell to the metal floor in a daze, checking if she had cracked her glass mask. Finding none she was helped to her feet by a mechanical arm.

"My apologies Tali'Zorah. You are uninjured, correct?"

"I'm fine Grimlock; it was my fault for not looking where I was going."

Dusting off imaginary dust, Tali looked up at Grimlock. Upon his arrival onto the Flotilla, Tali had discovered that her team's initial estimates were rather off. The gigantic Hunter had a hunched stature reaching 8 feet tall, but she had seen him reach around 12 feet when he stood to his full height. His intimidating blue armor was still a bit dented but shone brightly from the efforts of a few younger quarians. He easily weighed as much as three Mako transports and could probably destroy them just as easily.

"I was trying to find you. The research team is ready for another test on your armor. Hopefully will be able to discern what your armor is made of; it's rather fascinating really."

Grimlock merely nodded once and followed Tali with lumbering steps towards the labs.

A team of quarians bustled about, each checking their omni-tools as several machines bathed Grimlock in orange light. These close-range scanners were the strongest on the Flotilla, allowing the scientists to pierce deep within most objects without the need to take them apart. But sadly, Grimlock's massive armor proved impenetrable to their digital probes. Not one image could be seen on their screens and it was frustrating everyone.

"_Bosh'tet!_ This is useless. We've run hundreds of scans and there has been no change in what we see. Which may I remind you that we still see nothing."

The agitated voice of Rael'Zorah could be heard above the voices of the other researchers. His sentiments were mirrored by several others with the exception of his daughter Tali. Rael noted that Tali was engrossed in whatever was on the monitor before her. Curiosity getting the better of him, Rael (and a few others) peered over his daughter's shoulder to see what was so interesting. Looking at the monitor, Rael gasped at what Tali found.

Upon the screen was a very detailed scan of a single portion of Grimlock's shield arm. Tali was viewing a tiny crack in the arm, the damage showing signs of resulting from a exceptionally high-intensity laser. Watching closely, he watched as Tali took a small sample from the crack; to his silent glee, it was actually a fragment of the armor! The fragment was dropped into a sample tray which Tali took to another workstation; one that could also scan objects but was mainly reserved for ore samples and weapon research.

Rael and a few others (his actual assistants) observed silently as Tali ran numerous tests on the armor fragment. Subtly signaling his assistants, he had them each join Tali in her research; each quarian deferring to Tali as the leader in this experiment. His daughter once again surpassed him as a scientist; Rael couldn't help but swell with pride and whither from his guilt. It was moments like this where he would often ponder on his failures.

Rael had many regrets, but his failing Tali as her father would forever be his most powerful burden.

* * *

_And that's the new chapter!_

_Please understand that Grimlock will be dofferent from a Haloverse Hunter and that this is a fanfic..._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn**_

* * *

_Rael had many regrets, but his failing Tali as her father would forever be his most powerful burden._

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

"By the ancestors Grimlock! Will you stop with the medical diagnostics?!"

Said armored titan just flickered his 'eye' and resumed his diagnostics; or rather, Tali's diagnostics. She huffed and continued with her report on _Freedom's Progress_. Since Tali was the only remotely coherent, she was the one to fill out the mission report. However her outlining of the events left much to be desired, such as the rebellion of most of half her squad and the appearance of a deceased human Spectre, Commander Shepard. He was justified in his worry. It's not every day that a perfectly rational sentient (like Tali) suddenly starts seeing ghosts!

"And don't think that giving me the silent treatment means you're in the right here! Shepard was there and it did happen."

If he was capable of it, he would have sighed. It was ironic that she was a bit miffed about his silence when she was the one to shut off his 'voice' moments before. Grimlock finished running the thirtieth medical scan when Tali started muttering as she read over her report.

"…insubordination…condolences…_Freedom's Progress_…"

He dutifully ignored her and decided to settle back into his 'alcove'. Said space was a section of their ship just for him. It was designed for him to remain there in relative comfort while keeping him out of the way of the ship's crew. Grimlock went into a 'sleep mode', somewhat similar to the cryostasis used by the UNSC; it 'froze' him in his sleep and quickly thawed him at a moment's notice. Something Tali and Rael came up with after carefully examining his recollections of the UNSC's machines.

Another few hours until they arrived in Geth space…

* * *

_**On the Normandy SR-2, on-route to Omega Station**_

"…_twenty-eight thousand bottles of beer on the wall, twenty-eight thousand bottles of beer! Take one…"_

Miranda whimpered as yet another 'bottle' was consumed. She was sorely mistaken in her belief that Commander Shepard was a veritable saint when it came to insubordination. All the incident reports stated that she was a wonderful CO to serve under and was rather lenient to her subordinates. And Miranda had interviewed Shepard's former soldiers! Each one had said that Shepard was one of the best officers in the Alliance! Yet now she understood why each had a pained smile on their face when questioned about her methods of dealing with insubordination. According to eye-witness accounts and the reports, Shepard never confined her men to the brig for more than a few days; even then she provided adequate food and comfort to the detainee!

"…_twenty-three thousand beers on the wall, twenty-three thousand bottles of beer! Take one…"_

After the mission to _Freedom's Progress_, Shepard had confined Miranda to the brig for questioning her methods after allowing the quarians to take Veetor for medical treatment prior to sending them the data. Miranda had been prepared for Shepard's so-called 'soft methods'. She wasn't however, ready for the complimentary (and mandatory) music to help pass the time.

"…_twenty-two thousand, nine hundred ninety-three beers on the wall, twenty thousand bottles, nine hundred ninety-three of beer! Take one…"_

Who in the galaxy has _**'Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Tri-Millennial Edition – Eighteen Hundred hours of musical alcohol consumption by the Weyrloc Three'**_?! Who would force someone to listen to the whole track of off-key, discordant singing krogan?! Who would make someone suffer through this kind of torture?!

Commander Jane Shepard: former Council Spectre, former Alliance Commander…

Known to her previous subordinates as 'The Iron Maiden' for her indomitable will and uplifting aura…

And as the 'Vindictive Bitch of the Faint Smile' for her 'soft methods' of punishment…

The room went silent and Miranda unfolded herself from beneath the thin blanket she used t try and smother out the sound. She dared to hope that Shepard had forgiven her and was letting her out with a warning. Then the intercom came on:

"_Hey Miranda, this is your Commander speaking; it turns out my copy of 'Beers on the Wall' got corrupted!"_

Miranda nearly wept tears of joy…

"_So I went on the extranet and downloaded a new copy!"_

She nearly wet herself in despair…

"_And then I found this great song! It's an Old Earth classic sung by the Salarian Academy's Junior Choir and Orchestra!"_

With growing dread, Miranda recognized the music rising in volume over the speakers… She huddled under her blanket again and cried wretched tears, bemoaning her foolishness and naivety.

"…_It's a world of laughter, a world of tears_

_It's a world of hope and a world of fears_

_There's so much we can share…"_

She wailed as she tried to drown out the music in vain.

"_It's a small world after all_

_It's a small world after all…"_

Up in her lush private cabin, Shepard cackled in malevolent glee as she reclined on her designer bed.

* * *

_**Three weeks later, on the planet of Haelstrom…**_

Tali sighed as the stone bunker her squad and science team were sheltered in shook. A cloud of dust descended from the ceiling followed by a rain of tiny stones. Farther down near the entrance Tali could hear the Grimlock and the Flotilla Marines exchanging fire with the Geth. Nearly three weeks ago, the quarians had landed on Haelstrom and were almost immediately beset by Geth. The whole team would have been slaughtered if not for Grimlock taking down the Geth Dropship with his Assault Cannon. While not strong enough to outright destroy the vessel, the beam of plasma was enough to knock it out of the sky. The Science team managed to get to shelter and hole up in the bunker. The Marines were quick to set up a defensive perimeter, the ancient stonework providing adequate cover from mass-accelerated rounds.

Tali would have joined them if not for Grimlock's massive form practically blocking the doorway. She would have protested but had immediately retreated when three Geth Colossi dropped from the sky. Apparently there was more than one ship in the area…

"Tali'Zorah!"

She quickly sprinted back to the team of three scientists manning the aged console. Said machine had been gathering data on Haestrom's sun since before her people were chased off Rannoch three centuries ago. The amount of data was enormous and they had to go through it carefully to make sure they gathered the correct data.

_**-Back outside-**_

"_Keelah'selai muthafuckas!"_

The deep digitized voice echoed across the stone canyon as hot plasma and accelerated shards were exchanged by the Geth and Quarians (plus Grimlock). Kal'Reegar, leader of the Marine Squad, nearly tripped when he heard Grimlock's voice. He dearly hoped that Tali'Zorah hadn't heard that; she took great offence to other's influencing the usually gentle giant. He and his squad had been telling old mission stories and Grimlock just quoted Kal'Reegar from his younger days. He silently prayed to his ancestors for luck as he dropped another Geth with his Avenger. The last idiot that taught Grimlock something like that, Tali'Zorah had them shoved out the airlock and towed behind the _Neema_ via steel cable. The idiot's friends tried running to Captain Kar'Danna but the usually matronly captain just cackled malevolently…

Needless to say, everyone on the _Neema_ (and most of the Flotilla) learned to watch what they said around the titanic Mgalekgolo.

Down towards the front Grimlock continued to mow down Geth with his shoulder-mounted autocannon and assault cannon plasma bursts. The Juggernauts were easier to deal with (a backhand or downward smash with his shield arm did the trick), but the smaller Geth models were harder. He had to carefully aim with his autocannon to take them out but the dratted thing kept overheating! Bored from the tedious Geth attacks, Grimlock had taken to composing poetry about his fights…

Sadly, the pathetic attempts by the Geth did not make for excellent inspiration. Grimlock's musings often turned to Tali; she regularly inspired him with her lively aura.

'_Another light fades,_

_A foe is cleansed._

_A legion falls_

_Unto the stone they remain._

_A tinkling laugh sounds_

_As a soft hand caresses my helm._

_On my shoulder she rests_

_Her mask a lavender glow.'_

He almost wished that there were a few more Colossi for him to destroy. The trio of Colossi from three weeks ago had been challenging with their repair protocols and plasma bombs. He had tried to limit himself to the plasma burst setting but even then it had only taken a few hits after their shields had gone down. He about to advance further but was interrupted by Reegar over the comlink.

_*Grimlock, fall back towards the door; we got Cerberus coming in!*_

Grimlock quickly retreated, backing steadily as the Geth were soon mowed down by rounds slamming into their backs. He managed to settle behind a stone pillar when the Cerberus team came into view.

[The leader: a human female in dark grey and red armor; soldier-class loadout]

[Followers: turian in silver and red armor; sniper-class, juvenile krogan in black armor; soldier-class]

[Personal Assessment: Odd that a turian and krogan would be part of Cerberus…]

[Threat assessment: Easily dealt with, wait for Reegar's signal…]

Grimlock tensed, ready to unleash a torrent of plasma at the operatives when they came around the corner.

* * *

_**With Shepard's Squad**_

Garrus was practically dying in his shiny new armor. The blazing heat had long since overwhelmed the cooling mechanisms and now he was cooking under his armor. To his right he could see Grunt suffering just as much. The krogan's black armor was impressive but lacked the comforts of Garrus' own suit. To make matters worse, Garrus could tell that his precious rifle was melting! If he could have cried, he would've back at the shuttle.

"Tali's just up ahead. The Geth have her people boxed in. They've managed to hold out thanks to someone named Grim'Lock; odd name for a Quarian…"

Garrus agreed; the name just wasn't quarian. He wondered if he was a turian or some human using a codename. Tali made him sound like this 'Grim'Lock' was her whole world. Garrus needed to see this guy, maybe take him aside and make sure he wasn't taking advantage of Tali. The girl was too nice for that to happen.

Behind the two, Grunt rolled his eyes. All this talking was pointless. He just wanted something to shoot…

His wish was soon granted when they spotted a few squads of Geth firing on some Flotilla Marines.

"Contacts! Take'em down!"

Shepard's Vindicator was quickly joined by Garrus' Mattock and Grunt's Eviscerator. Combined with the Marines' crossfire, they made quick work of the Geth. Across the stone canyon, Shepard spotted the shelter Tali told them about. Double-timing it, they quickstepped to the quarian encampment.

_**Seconds later…**_

Shepard just stared at the azure giant standing menacingly over them. A green light pulsed from the arm cannon aimed right at her team. The three didn't move a muscle. Well, Shepard and Garrus didn't; Grunt had tried earlier and was smashed into the pillar beside them. The young krogan hadn't gotten back up, a testament to this titan's strength; knocking out a charging krogan ain't easy…

Shepard's hand twitched as it hovered over her sidearm and the turret on the giant's shoulder took aim, a red dot appearing on her forehead. She stilled; at this range, a single round would rip through her shields like wet paper. Garrus wasn't in better shape with five quarians of various suit colors aiming their guns at him from all sides.

She sneezed and everybody tensed; every single one of them ready to open fire…at least until Tali walked out and screamed.

"Grimlock?! What are yo-…Everyone stand down!"

Shepard nearly collapsed into Tali's tight embrace, hugging the young quarian for all her worth. Facing certain death is only fun when you get to point a gun back at them. Wary of the armored giant still glaring at her through its red eye, Shepard tentatively pulled Tali towards Garrus. Tali didn't notice the tense atmosphere and eagerly reunited her former comrades. Grimlock watched warily as the former dead Spectre and the scarred turian spoke with Tali; he was sure that the woman was some sort of imposter. The dead stayed dead; no more, no less.

* * *

_**Aboard the Normandy – Two Days Later**_

"I don't like him."

Shepard sighed as once again, Garrus voiced his _loathing_ of the armored giant down in the Cargo Bay. When they had left Haelstrom, Garrus had taken to spying on Tali and her 'friend' down in the Cargo Hold. Shepard had set Tali right in Engineering, just like in the old _Normandy_. The young quarian had already been exceptionally productive, increasing the ship's energy output by 20% and reducing its fuel consumption by 38%. Grimlock, the Mgalekgolo according to Tali, kept to the Cargo Bay; his immense bulk and sheer weight made it impossible to traverse the rest of the ship.

"Like him or not, Grimlock's a part of the team. You have to admit Garrus; having a living tank with us is pretty much a game-changer. From what Tali and Reegar have told us, Grimlock's a veritable one alien shock trooper/armored tank platoon by himself. He took out three Geth Colossi Garrus! That's some major firepower we've got on our side."

The scarred turian just huffed and went back to calibrating the shiny new Thanix Cannon they had just installed. Shepard had it tested in an asteroid field within the Hourglass Nebula and was pleased with the results. Getting back to the matter at hand, she got up and leaned against the console. Garrus was busying himself with the algorithms but she knew he was stewing beneath his newly scarred exterior. A few moments of pointed staring broke the turian's stoic silence/pouting.

_*sigh*_ "I'll admit, he's an asset alright. I just don't like how Tali never talks with us anymore. She's always down in Engineering or in the Cargo Bay. That thi-_(Shepard coughed)_…Grimlock is all she seems to care about…"

And they got to the root of the problem. Garrus was jealous that Tali was devoting all here time to work and her new friend. Shepard let Garrus calm down a bit and went down to see Tali. It was best to solve this problem quickly. It wasn't like she didn't have the time.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn**_

* * *

And they got to the root of the problem. Garrus was jealous that Tali was devoting all her time to work and her new friend. Shepard let Garrus calm down a bit and went down to see Tali. It was best to solve this problem quickly. It wasn't like she didn't have the time.

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

"That's just not fair Shepard…"

Said woman just stared dumbstruck at the merc base they had been about to destroy. The base was completely leveled and just a pile of smoldering rubble. Up on a cliff Garrus and Shepard were gazing down at the former base. However, down in the center of the destruction was an irate quarian engineer and the several ton giant in blue armor she was chastising.

"B-but… We left him on the _Normandy_! The ship back in low orbit! How the hell did he survive the descent?!"

"I don't know Shepard… But as much as I don't like him, I gotta respect him. The big guy knows how to make an entrance…"

Indeed, Grimlock had been up in the _Normandy_ monitoring the mission Shepard took Tali and Garrus on. They had managed to get pretty close to the base but couldn't get any closer due to the perimeter defense systems in place. Shepard would have called in an airstrike from the _Normandy_ but the chance that the AA-cannons would be active was too great. So while Shepard was arguing with Miranda (via comlink) and Garrus about battle tactics, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

After informing EDI of his intentions, Grimlock opened up the Cargo Bay doors and performed a HALO jump like he'd done several times before back in his universe. Using the mass-altering upgrades and activating the kinetic barriers Tali integrated into his new-ish armor, Grimlock managed to control his descent enough to ensure he landed directly on top of the merc base.

The ground team had caught sight of him just as he slammed into the roof and smashed right through it (and the several floors beneath). As Grimlock re-oriented himself the mercs had began to recover from the shock of his entry. As Grimlock's armor returned to full-power, one of the mercs (a large orange-crested krogan in red armor) said,

"By Weyrloc, what is that?!"

Remembering a story one of the Sanghelii were telling back in his universe, Grimlock flared his visor-light and charged up his assault cannon.

"_I…I am a monument to all your sins…"_

The mercs barely had time to lift their guns before their worlds were consumed by burning green light.

* * *

"Bloody fuckin' hell, in all my years I've never seen something as scary as that shit…"

The rest of the team couldn't help but agree with the recent addition to the team, a scarred merc veteran named Zaeed Massani. They had all gathered to go over the hacked security feeds from the merc base. They had watched as Grimlock tore the place apart with brutal efficiency and serious amounts of plasma. The twelve foot tall juggernaut had ripped through blast doors and some of the best security defenses money could buy like they were tissue paper. His plasma cannon had melted everything it was directed at.

They were awed even more by the fact that the whole time, the big guy was serenading his victims with poetry while he decimated their forces.

In one particular scene they could see Grimlock smashing through a few modified Mako and Grizzlies as he practically sang,

_"Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!_

_And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,_

_Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!_

_Better one hour's stour than a year's peace_

_With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!_

_Bah! there's no wine like the blood's crimson!"_

_They had to admit, his poetic talents were pretty interesting. Though this particular verse was riddled with human terms, Tali had informed them that Grimlock has been reading up on the cultural literature of the various races on the extranet, Humanity especially. So far, his favorite Earth-based poem was __"The Charge of the Light Brigade – Tennyson"__._

"Just so you all know; I could so take him down."

They all glanced incredulously at Jack, who glared at the attention.

"What? I'm just saying. I might be able to take Big Blue if I had like, three more of me and a whole fuckin' mess of pet Threshers on my side…"

* * *

_**A week later, on-route to Illium – Recruiting the Justicar & Assassin**_

"We'll be arriving at Illium in just a few hours. Miranda, I want you and Jacob to get us restocked and make sure the crew gets their shore leave. Mordin, I need you to go over the data we collected from the Collectors on _Horizon_. Zaeed, hit every hole-in-the-wall bar and club. Get anything on this Krios-guy you can find. Garrus, check out the local authorities on any Justicar sightings. I'll take Tali and go see if Liara has any info."

Jack butted in while Shepard paused to double check her datapad.

"What the fuck Shep? Why ain't I got anything to do? I could be going with Massani to scope out the bars; you know I'd fit right in."

"Because I need you, Grunt and Grimlock ready just in case we need backup. Most likely one of the searches are gonna either find something or run into some trouble. You'd be able get to any part of the city the quickest of us all."

Jack huffed, knowing what Shepard was getting at. She knew she was one of Shepard's heaviest hitters; knowing that she'd have to stay cooped up in the ship while all this was going down was the hard part.

"Any more questions? If not, get moving."

_**Flash Forward six hours…**_

Jack was tossing a ball she jacked from Joker at the wall. A rapid thumping echoed throughout the Cargo Bay. Grunt paced restlessly, cradling his M-300 Claymore. Grimlock seemed to be the calmest of all, but a keen eyed observer would spot the tell-tale nervous twitching of the pseudo-Lekgolo strands still visible. After the thirty-seventh bounce of the ball, Jack finally spoke up.

"Yo Big Blue!"

Grimlock tilted his head towards the approaching biotic.

"What is it you require Ms. Pointe?"

Jack actually tripped at that. She flared her biotics and jabbed a glowing digit at the behemoth.

"H-how the fuck do you know my last name?!"

"Records hacked from Cerberus archives. Know much about most of squad; made several assessments on each individual."

"Oh? What'cha got on Shepard?"

Grimloc fell silent and his visor started blinking at a rapid pace.

"_Commander Alice Shepard, age 29. Daughter of Captain Hannah Shepard and Jonathan Shepard (deceased). Graduated top of her class and fast-tracked to N7 training. Military record exemplary; top ranked marksmanship and expert in urban warfare. Leadership capabilities exemplary._

_Received Star of Terra for service at Elysium: held off Terminus pirates with only local defense force at hand._

_Inducted into Spectres at age 27._

"_Favored Weapon: M-15 Vindicator Battle Rifle_

"_Preferred Method of Combat: Three-Person Squad – Soldier, Sniper, Tech Configuration_

"_Threat Assessment: Minimal_

"_Arm-"_

Jack interrupted, her biotics long since faded.

"Hold up, what the fuck do you mean by '_Threat Assessment: Minimal'_?"

"Cmdr. Shepard's threat level is less than significant."

"So what, you saying you could take down the Commander if you wanted?"

Grimlock's visor flashed ominously.

"Affirmative."

"I call bullsh-"

_*Shepard to Normandy. Tali and I have found where Krios is headed. Jacob, I need you to get Grunt and Grimlock to the Dantius Towers ASAP! Jack, head over to the spaceport and link up with Garrus and Zaeed; they've found Samara.*_

* * *

_**Dantius Towers**_

Ducking behind the burnt husk of their ride, Tali and Shepard traded a few more rounds with the squad of Eclipse mercs and mechs. The mercs had shot them out of the sky and Seryna (their informant) had died in the crash. Shepard glanced up and was surprised to see not the Kodiak but a large hover-truck coming in for a landing. A torrent of mass accelerated rounds smashed into its side and two large figures jumped out…from three stories up.

"Shit, incoming!"

Shepard and Tali ran to the side as Grimlock and Grunt smashed onto the ground no worse for the wear. Immediately the mercs were consumed by plasma and shotgun rounds while Jacob got the hell out of there.

"HA! I can see why you prefer jumping Grimlock! Much quicker and exhilarating!"

Shepard sighed and quickly took command.

"Grunt, Grimlock; fall in. We got a Drell to find."

* * *

_**(The following encounters with the Eclipse and krogan bounty hunter were too tedious to write. Just know that Grunt whined the whole way because Grimlock took everyone out before any of them could get a shot in. And Shepard wanted to get through this quickly because the numerous plasma-induced holes in the tower supports were very nerve-racking. Tali was also very frustrated with Grimlock's overprotectiveness. She had a shotgun!)**_

* * *

The elevator finally opened up and the team poured out onto the first tower roof. They still had a bridge to cross though. Glancing around, Shepard spotted several mercs hiding behind the unfinished pillars and construction supplies.

"Grunt, take them down. Grimlock…let Grunt have a turn?"

Said krogan practically launched himself on the poor mercs. He had yet to use his new Claymore and he wanted to do something, anything for a chance to show off to his momm-…I mean battlemaster. With a roar he young krogan tore through the ill-prepared mercenaries. The three watched as he gleefully pumped several rounds of metal into the Eclipse mercs. Tali winced every time one lost a limb or had a hole blown through their chest.

"I…AM…KROGAN!"

"Oh god!"

"I can't stop the bleeding!"

"Goddess help us!"

"RRrraaagggghhh!"

Soon there was silence as Grunt stood at the exit, covered in blood. Tali and Shepard padded through the mess almost daintily while Grimlock just squished anything in his way.

"Ha! Did you see Shepard? I tore through them like a varren through a crowd of pyjacks. I need more; let me prove my worth Mothe-…uh, nevermind."

Shepard shared a glance with Tali. Was Grunt about to call Shepard Mother? Tali shrugged.

"Ok? Grimlock, Grunt; Take point. Grunt takes the lead. Grimlock, stick with your autocannon to provide covering fire and keep Tali out of direct sight. Tali, get ready to hack as many mechs and turret drones as you can; keep them from flanking us. I'll take up the rear and take out any rocket troopers. MOVE OUT!"

* * *

_**(In the face of such opposition, the Eclipse mercs were completely overwhelmed and Shepard's team made it to the second tower without incident. The encounters within the tower up to Nassana's Penthouse were also completely unnoteworthy; Grunt's growling and Grimlock's silent intimidations lead to several suicides.)**_

* * *

Grimlock smashed through the door to Nassana's penthouse with a single swing, stepping out of the dust like a vengeful god. The team stealthily followed Grimlock in.

"So, it's come to- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

Nassana's monologue was interrupted by Grimlock's appearance. Clearly she was not expecting a near 12-foot tall juggernaut to smash its way through and aim a plasma-assault cannon at her…then again, who is? Shepard smirked and gave a subtle nudge that Grimlock easily interpreted. He took a few heavy steps forward, the mercs and Nassana firing at him wildly. The rounds just bounced off while the team watched. Well, Shepard and Grunt watched; Tali twitched with every ping.

"_**I…I am a monument to all your sins."**_

Nassana screamed and slammed into one of her guards. Said guard had been about to throw a grenade but the impact knocked it from his hands. It dropped to the floor and quickly exploded, shattering the glass. Nassana was the only one that survived. She took up one of the fallen rifles and emptied the clip at Grimlock with no effect. Just as she took another step back, she tripped over the body of one of the mercs and went tumbling out the room; she fell several dozen stories screaming all the way.

A few moments of silence passed before Shepard cleared her throat pointedly at the ceiling. Nothing happened so Grimlock slammed his shield against the roof, causing a green-scaled alien to come tumbling out of one of the vents. As he got to his feet, Shepard and Grunt stepped forward while Tali fussed over Grimlock.

"Thane Krios?"

"Uhhh…"

The drell blinked up at her, rather embarrassed by his entrance.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'm Commander Shepard and I'd like to talk to you about a mission…"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn**_

* * *

The drell blinked up at her, rather embarrassed by his entrance.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'm Commander Shepard and I'd like to talk to you about a mission…"

* * *

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

"…-and the drell comes tumbling out of the vents!"

Laughter echoes throughout the Mess; the subject cradled his head in his arms. Any respect he would have gotten from his assassin status was quickly replaced by the hilarity of his recruitment. Garrus patted the drell's shoulder, knowing how it felt to be completely upstaged by the Mgalekgolo. Grunt snorted and tore into his third tray of lunch.

"Big Blue ripped the Eclipse a fuckin' new one! Man, I can't wait see what happens next!"

Jack was beside cigar-smoking Zaeed, chugging away at some pseudo-beer Mordin engineered. Has all the effects of alcohol without the hangover; can't even drink too much of the stuff to get drunk. Only gives you a good buzz. All throughout the ship, morale was high. The team was assembled and the Illusive Man had them doing a few merc-breaker missions to help them come together as a team. So far, the ground team has been grouping together; some favoring the company of others.

Garrus and Thane were often found together, sharing sniping stories. Their main argument was efficiency as opposed to firepower. Thane was all for semi-auto sniper rifles as they let him take down multiple targets in quick succession while Garrus would just pat his precious Widow saying that with enough firepower, numbers didn't mean anything; he often cited his own stand back on Omega. He held off roughly four hundred mercs with a kill count of three hundred and eighty-seven. Thane had to admit that it was very impressive; he hadn't done anything that clocked that many kills in three days.

Jack was often with Grunt, listening to Zaeed tell of his old missions and jobs. The current story was how Zaeed took out a whole company of Blood Pack mercs with only a grenade and a Predator pistol.

Jacob mostly stayed in the Armory, occasionally visiting Miranda. No one commented on Jacob's shabby appearance after every visit.

Samara surprisingly was found with Grimlock, Mordin and Tali most often. The three inquiring about Grimlock's universe, comparing the different species, cultures and technologies with their universe'.

All in all, Shepard was glad they were all coming along nicely. She also often sat in on their discussions; Grimlock's universe was both awe-inspiring and horrifying.

* * *

"…_and the Elites, the Sanghelii adhered most strongly to their traditions and honor-code? And what of their…Arbiter was it?"_

"_Most fascinating; an equivalent of Spectre outside military and council influences. Used only ceremonial armor despite inefficiency and archaic technology, but still considered greatest asset to government."_

"_While every Arbiter was of the Sanghelii, all races were welcome to become the Arbiter. Only through military excellence and casting away all other bonds can one become the Arbiter."_

"_Keelah, a cruiser-class ship of your universe is over three times larger than a cruiser of our universe…"_

"_Ramifications astounding; almost shudder to think what dreadnaught and capital-class ships were capable of."_

"_The Flood…what were the standard protocols when dealing with the…parasite?"_

"_Upon identification of Flood presence on a world, standard protocol was the complete glassing of the planet. Every inch of the globe was to be bombarded with an endless rain of plasma. The Flood can only be stopped by the fires of Covenant's resolve."_

* * *

_*Shepard, I have several reports of squad member Grunt having multiple confrontations with the crew and fellow squad members. Executive Officer Lawson and Mordin wish to speak with you individually on private matters.*_

* * *

Shepard entered the Port Cargo Area, finding Grunt pacing the room wildly, occasionally smashing a crate to the side.

"Grunt, what's going on?"

The young krogan growls and paces more frantically. Shepard, rather concerned and knowing how to deal with an agitated krogan, reacts. She grabs him and headbutts him, startling him long enough to stop his pacing. She rubs her aching forehead and neck as Grunt talks.

"Rrrgghhh, I do not understand this Shepard. I feel, I feel anxious, nervous… so much rage! I find everything angers me; the chatter of the weaklings, the smoke of the old one, the silence of my rival! It all makes me so angry!"

With a roar, Grunt slams his head against the window, completely shattering the glass, following up with denting the support struts of the ship. He roars some more before collapsing to the ground and pounding his fists on the grating.

"Shit Grunt!" Shepard grabs him again, trying to calm him. The krogan merely thrashes more; Shepard can feel the blood rushing quickly beneath his skin, his hearts beating much quicker than normal and the near burning heat of his skin. Frantic, Shepard tries something a long-forgotten friend did for her when she was just a street-rat back on Earth.

She sang.

Holding Grunt tenderly, Shepard sang the one song she knew by heart.

"_Come stop your crying, it will be alright_

_Just take my hand, hold it tight_

I will protect you from all around you

_I will be here, don't you cry…  
_

"_For one so small, you seem so strong_

_My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm_

_This bond between us can't be broke_

_I will be here don't you cry…_

"_'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart_

_From this day on, now and forever more…"_

Softly she sang as Grunt's thrashing stopped and his breathing slowed. After the third repetition, the young krogan was asleep. Smiling softly, Shepard grabbed a large thick blanket from one of the supply crates and covered the krogan. Stepping out quietly, Shepard had EDI close the door as quietly as possible.

* * *

"Mordin, we need to talk!"

Mordin blinked as Shepard practically ran into his lab, clearly worried.

"Ah, Shepard! Was meaning to speak with you. Data obtained from Horizon and Cerberus very interestin-…NOT IMPORTANT! Need to go to Tuchanka; old student from STG days gone missing. Last seen on krogan homeworld."

"Listen Mordin, I need you to check up on Grunt. I'd ask Chakwas but she doesn't have enough experience with krogan physiology; you do."

Mordin listened to Shepard's, or rather Grunt's, dilemma. Contemplating on the situation, Mordin quickly accessed the _Normandy_'s systems and checked the Port Cargo Bay's environmental conditions. It showed the typical mixture but with an excessive amount of krogan hormones. That meant one thing.

"Grunt experiencing krogan 'puberty'. Has come of physical maturity and needs outlet for heightened aggression; also good reason to go to Tuchanka. Krogan clans likely have ritual or traditions tailored to coming of age."

"Alright then, we'll stop by Tuchanka, get Grunt some help and information on your student…"

"Maelon."

"…your student Maelon."

Mordin thanked her and Shepard went down to see Miranda.

"Needed to see me Miranda?"

"Uh yes Shepard. I received a report that my father has gotten close to finding my sister. I need to get her and her family away to a new location, possibly on a planet other than Illium."

"We have some business on Tuchanka concerning Mordin and Grunt that are pretty serious. But we could make a stop on the way, drop you and some of the team to get that done while I head on to Tuchanka."

Miranda actually smiled, not having considered that angle.

"That would be ideal Shepard. If it's possible, I'd like Jacob and Thane to assist. All three have experience in such matters and would be most suited to the mission."

"I'll inform them and have Joker make a stop at Illium. Get ready, we'll probably be there tomorrow."

Miranda thanked her as she left.

* * *

_**A day and a half later, Urdnot Clan Camp, Tuchanka**_

"Grunt huh? I can smell his stench from here; he needs the Rite."

Shepard almost smiled; this was exactly what she needed. Wrex had easily accepted that even if Grunt went through the Rite and was accepted into Clan Urdnot, his first loyalty was to Shepard. The initial preparations were easily finished, barring the interference of Gatatog Uvenk, and they were on their way to the Proving Grounds. The heavy krogan crawler tore through the tunnels, carrying Shepard, Garrus and Grunt. Shepard had sent not only Jacob and Thane with Miranda, but also Samara to help keep the asari authorities from interfering. Shepard had Mordin head off to find his student with Tali and Grimlock.

Shepard didn't know what they were getting into, only that this was what Grunt needed and there was a chance they weren't coming back.

Later in the Proving Grounds, the trio watched as the hammer came down, signaling the start of the Rite. Waves of beasts came at them with Grunt slaughtering almost everything that came their way. Shepard and Garrus only took out what Grunt ignored, allowing the krogan to work out his aggression on the oncoming walls of meat.

"Ha, this is it! This is what I need. The blood, the carnage; this is…this is what it means to be krogan! Hahahaha!"

Garrus winced as Grunt tore another varren in half and beat another to death with the former's severed legs. It was both impressive and fairly nauseating. The only surprise was whenever Grunt called out for Shepard to watch, he didn't say Shepard or Battlemaster, he said,

"Ha, did you see that Mother? Another falls to me! Come on you weaklings, bring on more! I need more!"

This repeated almost a dozen times with each activation of the hammer…at least until the ground started rumbling. Shepard knew what was coming; her body froze and her Vindicator fell from her limp grasp. Collapsing to her knees she watched as the beast rose from the earth, her mind screaming for her to turn and run. As Garrus tried to get her to her feet and Grunt roaring at it in defiance, she could only whisper the name of her one fear:

"_Thresher Maw…"_

* * *

_**At the Weyrloc Camp**_

Tali sighed as another wave of krogans and vorcha vanished to nothingness in the face of Grimlock's plasma cannon. She was frustrated; she wanted to kill something with her shiny new Plasma Shotgun! She glared at the rather cheerful Mordin who was glad for the rapid pace Grimlock set.

_Wall of steel? Smashed!_

_Wall of krogans and vorcha? Dead!_

_Interesting specimen? Killed quickly and scanned with omnitool._

Yes, Mordin was happy that Grimlock was on this mission. It allowed him to observe the _alien_ technology at work and theorize on how to replicate it later. Also, Grimlock was very efficient and followed any orders to the letter, making progress much quicker than anticipated. In no time at all the team had entered the abandoned hospital and easily destroying any resistance; however, as more and more labs appeared filled with already dead krogan, krogan females at that, and data on terminals that was much too thorough and advanced to have been made by krogans, Mordin's mood grew dimmer with every passing minute.

Right now he was examining the corpse of one such female, exhibiting a great deal of surgery and DNA extraction; also much experimentation on their reproductive organs. It only lead Mordin to one conclusion…

"Mordin?"

"Hm, yes Tali'Zorah?"

Tali glanced pointedly at the corpses, almost afraid to ask.

"Ah, understand your concerns. Maelon not captive as first believed; most likely that student has been experimenting on willing test subjects."

"Why would the krogan willingly go through procedures that would kill them in the end?"

"Why indeed… Only one reason krogan willing to die on lab table and no in battle; cure genophage. But not what you wished to ask; wished to ask how I am so familiar with krogan biology. How I am so familiar with data?"

Mordin smiled grimly, knowing that Tali knew the answer but was unwilling to say it.

"Was on team that created genophage. Made thousands of calculations; made thousands more to prove wrong. All proven right; genophage only peaceful answer in end."

Tali was horrified and held onto Grimlock for support. The giant had been silent the entire journey up til this point. His visor glowed malevolently as he spoke; loathing practically oozing from his body.

"_Peaceful? You mean easiest; the least casualties for you and your allies. But what was easiest was not what was right… The krogan deserved more for their service; deserved more for their victory against the Rachni. What they received was a betrayal; a knife in the back. A betrayal earned their hate Mordin. Had you exterminated them through battle, waged war to curb their growth; they would have respected you, and possibly negotiated breeding laws and restrictions._

"_But no, the Council chose a solution that would only destroy one, for the sake of peace."_

Mordin looked indignant at Grimlock's words, but was prevented from speaking as Grimlock pressed on.

"_The Flood, the parasite of my universe, brought about the end of my uplifters, the Forerunners. It was a curse that destroyed their own predecessors, yet they unleashed through their own arrogance. It was not a entity of destruction at birth, but became what it was through the Precursors' and Forerunners' fear. It became a monument to all their sins._

_Knowing what you know now, seeing what despair has driven an entire race to; can you still say Mordin, that what you did was right? Or was it what was easiest?"_

Mordin blinked and stayed silent, clearly thinking on what he had said. The squad moved on, fighting through Clan Weyrloc and their pet varren. Finally, they came to the last room where Maelon was waiting. The two salarians argued for almost an hour on their ideals and beliefs, pistols never leaving each others' grip. It finally came to a head with Mordin disarming Maelon.

Mordin had his former student at gunpoint as he rapidly spoke.

"Too far gone; kill you? Must, will only continue work later; cause more unneeded death."

Mordin went on and on until he felt a hand gently grasp his and pull his gun away. Maelon collapsed and Mordin turned to find Tali with his gun.

"Tali'Zorah?"

"Mordin, can't you see? Hasn't there been enough death in this place? You've doomed the krogan and Maelon's guilt made him resort to all this _*gestures to the corpse-filled lab*_. Is more death the right thing to do, or the easiest?"

Mordin blinked, glancing all around before settling on Grimlock. The Mgalekgolo had extended one of his smaller utility arms and was draping a sheet over one female's corpse. Mordin nodded, completely resigned and exhausted. He wandered to the side and sat against the wall, staring at nothing.

Tali helped Maelon to his feet, giving him back his fallen pistol.

"Thank you miss… Had you not interfered, I would have let him kill me. _*Maelon paced before his massive terminal, gazing at the data he had collected through the deaths of so many; gesturing as he spoke.*_ As you said, I didn't do all this because it was easy, because I thought all their deaths were necessary to curing the genophage. I did all this because I knew curing this curse was the right thing to do. I didn't want all those females to die; for them all too willingly place themselves under the scalpel with no chance of surviving. I did this because the guilt was killing me inside, my own personal genophage."

Maelon closed the terminal and sorrowfully caressed the face of one dead female.

"This one was a daughter of Shiagur, the female warlord. She didn't come here for the chance to become a powerful warlord like her mother; she came to me because she wanted one thing more than anything in the world, more than life itself… To become mother."

He gazed at each table, remembering all those who had entered this lab and died for his failures.

"Fifty-eight krogan females came through that door, asking for the chance to become a mother. Fifty-eight females died in this chamber as I grew closer and closer to a cure I wasn't even sure would work. I'm not brilliant like Mordin Solus, Tali'Zorah. But I was determined to make up for my mistakes, to atone for the sins I've made."

"Was all this death worth it Maelon? Were these deaths necessary to make things right?"

It wasn't Tali who spoke, but Mordin who was gazing at his former student once more. Maelon shook his head.

"No, Doctor. In the end I failed, in the end it was all pointless…"

"…a monument to all our sins. All these dead krogan a monument to all our sins."

Maelon returned Mordin's stare and bowed deeply to Mordin.

"Please doctor, take me on as your student once more and help me atone for our sins; let us make the universe once more."

They shook hands; Tali smiled behind her mask as she leaned against Grimlock's arm. She looked up at him.

"Sometimes it's the simplest solution that provides all the answers, eh Grimlock?"

Grimlock merely gazed at the lab around them and said,

"_Were it so easy…"_


	6. Chapter 5-5

_A side-chapter, a rare view into the sides of the story in which the main character is not the focus of the chapter._

_Please enjoy!_

* * *

_**Forward Unto a New Dawn**_

* * *

Grimlock merely gazed at the lab around them and said,

"_Were it so easy…"_

* * *

_**Chapter 5-5 – Interlude: The Rite of Passage**_

* * *

_**Flashback to Grunt's Rite…**_

"_Thresher Maw…"_

Garrus was cursing every spirit he could name as he dragged the near-comatose woman behind rubble as the Thresher rained acid all around the arena. All around the arena, pillars toppled and the entire area shook. He tried to grab the Arc Projector off of Shepard's back, but the mag-clamps locked down when Shepard went comatose. He didn't know what he could do but take potshots at the giant worm with his Widow...

Grunt however alternated between roaring at the Maw and blasting it with both Claymore and Avenger in each hand. The damn thing shrugged them off either way. Sadly, Grunt's ravings only got louder with each ineffective barrage of rounds embedding themselves in the Thresher Maw.

"_HA! You think you can devour me WORM! I am Grunt, distilled from the legendary warlords Kredak, Moro, Shiagur and Veeoll; I am not your prey! I. AM. KROGAN !"_

Plugging another incendiary round into the Maw's head, Garrus risked a look at Shepard… damn, still no change. She just sat huddled there with eyes and whispering something under her breath. Growling, Garrus tried calling out to Grunt. The maniacal krogan was still in the middle of his battle frenzy, his blood likely rushing too quickly for him to hear anyone at all. The Maw shrieked and slammed its head at the frenzied-krogan, flinging him towards him and Shepard.

"…ah fuck…"

Nearly a ton of pure krogan slammed into the wall right next to Shepard. As Grunt let out a pained groan and his red blood stained the area around him. As he struggled to get up, Shepard seemed to gain some awareness…

…

…

"…_r-run Shepard…"_

_Lt. Commander Alice Shepard, N7 Operative…_

_She had been on a mission to Akuze with her platoon._

_Objective?_

_Investigate the disappearances of several Alliance marines and the strange signals that led those men to the area._

_It had started off pretty good; fifteen marines spread between three of the M35 MAKO rapid-insertion personnel carrier. A test run for the new model and enough space to extract any survivors. A bit of low-grav off-roading got them to the objective fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. A quick hop into the large crater where the men disappeared and they found it completely empty of all life._

_Only thing there?_

_An escape pod bearing Alliance markings emitting a high priority distress beacon._

_If that didn't say 'trap!', she didn't know what did…_

_They encircled the pod and one of the men popped the lid…_

_A noxious gas and low throbbing reverberated from within…_

…

…

…_a cacophony of shrieks echoed through the air as the entire area shook. As the very ground beneath their feet rubbled and rolled like veritable sea, Corporal Toombs screamed what everyone didn't want to hear…_

"_THRESHER MAW!"_

_And lo, the demon did come from the depths roaring as if defying God with its existence…_

_She remembered only flashes, the barest slivers of memories of that initial fight. The Maw took everything they had to the face and retaliated with enough acid to completely melt one of the MAKOs and the six marines inside. When it had retreated back into the dirt, they thought they were safe._

…_it was only the calm before the storm._

_Barely the span of a breath later did it return…and it brought friends._

_They weren't in the middle of thresher territory._

_They were right atop of a nest._

* * *

Even after her rescue, Shepard could only remember the screams of her men and the hissing of acid melting everything it touched. The searing metal shrapnel of the exploding MAKOs had been embedded and sealed in her skin.

Now, as Grunt lay there Shepard remembered the last moments of the Maw attack. Her commanding officer, John Liddel had lain there bleeding just as badly as Grunt was…telling for her to…

"RUN SHEPARD!"

She snapped into action, grabbing Grunt and dragging him out of the way. A torrent of acid flooded the spot they were just in not moments before.

"_Commander!"_

She shook her head; memories wouldn't help her now. Unslinging the Arc Projector, Shepard launched a bolt of artificial lightning right into the Maw's roaring jaws. Garrus followed up with a trio of sniper rounds into the stunned Maw's mouth. As it thrashed in pain, Shepard gave Grunt a triple dose of medigel; more than enough to get him up. The young krogan, free from his blood rage and fully aware, gazed up at the hard visage of his battlemaster; one who had conquered death and in his eyes, had no equal.

"Done sleeping Grunt; cuz' we got a Maw to kill."

He leapt to his feet and gripping his Claymore, a precious gift from Shepard.

"Ha! Did you see me wrecking that thing up Shepard? Just wait, I'll rip off its head and mount it as a tribute to our might!"

Garrus sighed and scored another trio of shots in the Maw's…maw.

Needless to say, with Shepard back in the fight and the three of them working together, the Maw was pretty much toast. Sadly Grunt was not able to fulfill his promise to rip its head off. Shepard had him hurl a canister into its mouth and Garrus blasted it just before the jaws closed. The explosion was gory as it was glorious. Grunt had been roaring victoriously as Thresher brains and flesh rained from heaven. They would have headed back down the tunnel if not for the arrival of a very battered Kodiak shuttle, carrying Gatatog Uvenk and a few of his followers. He had a proposition for them…

* * *

_**Clan Urdnot Camp**_

Anyways, at the end of the Rite, only Grunt's _krantt_ made it back. Garrus dragged himself behind Shepard and Grunt, both very animated despite the hell they had just gone through. Spirits, he just wanted to get in his bunk and sleep until he died.

"Aw, come on Grunt, say it~…"

On the other hand, seeing the so-called super krogan sputter and huff like an embarrassed teenager was highly entertaining. To recap, Gatatog Uvenk tried to get Grunt to join his clan as a veritable slave. Grunt didn't take that kindly; Shepard however, blew her top. She slammed the butt of her rifle into Uvenk's face, took out both his guards and held the stunned clan leader at gunpoint, stating under no circumstances that:

A - Grunt would be declining his offer.

B - Uvenk would leave or…

C – He would end up like the Thresher they had just blown up.

Uvenk didn't take that sitting down and shot up, holding Shepard by the throat. She had kicked at him uselessly until Uvenk was slammed into a pillar, forcing him to release her. As she coughed and was helped up by Garrus, the two witnessed something heartwarming if a bit disturbing…

Grunt was repeated slamming Uvenk's head into the pillar as he shouted,

"NO. ONE. HURTS. MOTHER !"

Uvenk's head was pretty much splattered and Shepard has been trying to get Grunt to call her 'Mother' instead of Shepard since. So far he has resisted her pleading but Garrus knew that in the end, Shepard would win. After all, Shepard always wins. In the end…

…resistance is futile.


End file.
